Electronic games have become increasingly popular in recent decades. Certain types of electronic games have demonstrated particularly strong market growth over time, such as Internet-based massively multiplayer online (MMO) games. MMO games generally involve interactive online environments or platforms (commonly referred to as virtual or online “worlds”) that hundreds, or even thousands, of users can access simultaneously. MMO games enable gamers to cooperate and/or compete with each other on a large-scale basis, typically in real time or near real time. One example of a well-known MMO game is World of Warcraft® (Blizzard Entertainment, Irvine, Calif.).
A given MMO game participant, player, gamer, or user is typically represented by an avatar or game character within an interactive online environment. A user navigates within a virtual environment by issuing or generating particular types of commands corresponding to avatar movement. By moving the avatar within or through the virtual environment, the user is able to explore the virtual environment. A user can interact with other gamers and/or non-player characters (NPCs) by interacting with corresponding avatars or characters within the virtual environment, for instance, through cooperating, competing, or fighting. A user can also interact with other gamers using predetermined messaging functions, which cause inter-user communications, such as messages, to be displayed on a display screen.
Game-related graphical information (e.g., scenes within a particular game environment, and interactions between character avatars in such scenes), game details (e.g., avatar and/or NPC status or attributes, or virtual environment maps), and user-to-user messages are displayed on a user's display screen during game play. The increasing complexity and graphical details of many games and the sheer amount of information that can be generated corresponding to user interaction with an interactive online environment or “world” results in an increasing quantity of information being displayed on the user's display screen during game play. In addition, the increasing number of gamers participating in a particular MMO game at any given time, coupled with the increasing number of options and/or opportunities for interaction between the gamers' avatars and/or NPCs, often results in an overload, or an excess amount, of information being provided to a user's display screen.
Display screens can thus become undesirably cluttered or confusing, and portions of a display screen can become visually distracting, as a result of the increasing amount of game related data or information that can be displayed or provided to the user. Unfortunately, the size of a typical computer display screen is commonly inadequate for efficiently or effectively accommodating or presenting all of the required or desired data or information that a user may find useful during game play. Accordingly, improved systems, devices, methods, and/or techniques are needed for presenting game-related information to the user.
Three-dimensional (3D) displays or quasi-3D displays are becoming increasingly popular for enhancing a user's gaming experience. Multiple types of three-dimensional displays or holographic displays can be used for displaying game-related information. However, the application or use of 3D displays has been associated with several limitations, problems, and/or disadvantages. These include a large amount of data that is commonly associated with, or required for, transmitting/receiving 3D images, and a relatively high level of complexity in the actual implementation of 3D displays, which can adversely impact gaming system performance and/or cost.
A need exists for modified, and/or improved systems, devices, methods, and/or techniques for communicating information to gamers during game play. Additionally, a need exists for improved devices and techniques, such as simplified or more efficient 3D information display devices and techniques, which can enhance a user's gaming experiences.